The story you are about to read is true. My example has simplified the details.

ExampleYou have an American book company producing books in America using American labor. The book sells for $100; the worker is paid $14.

The American book company decides to go global and sets up a factory in India producing the same book. The factory in America is closed. The American worker loses his job and is paid $0. The Indian worker is paid $2. The American book company still sells the book in America, and it still sells for $100. The American book company can afford to sell the book at a cheaper price in India due to the larger profit earned by lower labor costs and prices the book for sale in India at $35.

An enterprising young student at an American college notices the price difference. Needing a way to fund his college education, he finds a way to have the books purchased in India at the lower price and shipped to him in America where he resells the (new and identical) books for $50. A small note on the books purchased in India reads, “This book is for sale only in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.”

The American book company discovers that an American college student is buying its books it is selling in India for $35 and reselling them in America for $50 when the identical book (also made in India on the same printers with the same labor) is priced for sale in America at $100.

The American book company sues the enterprising young student for copyright infringement. The case is now set to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.

How a Supreme Court ruling may stop you from reselling just about anything"This case is an attempt by some brands and manufacturers to manipulate copyright law, to control the distribution and pricing of legitimate, authentic goods," said eBay's top policy lawyer, Hillary Brill. "When an American purchases an authentic item, he shouldn't have to ask permission from the manufacturer to do with it what he wants."http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012 ... hip-means/

A Supreme Court Case Over Textbooks Could Make Copyright Law Even More RestrictiveIf you’re flying to the United States from abroad, perhaps your newspapers should be confiscated along with your too-large tube of toothpaste. For your own protection, that is. After all, if you forget to discard that newspaper before going through customs on arrival, you may be guilty of copyright infringement.

Was the student supporting the U.S. workers who lost their jobs by reselling the foreign made books? Or was he treating them just like the book publisher by using overseas workers and undercutting prices? He may have helped students and made a profit. But he is just as guilty of helping the 'send jobs abroad' movement.

bamapilot wrote:Was the student supporting the U.S. workers who lost their jobs by reselling the foreign made books? Or was he treating them just like the book publisher by using overseas workers and undercutting prices? He may have helped students and made a profit. But he is just as guilty of helping the 'send jobs abroad' movement.

Sorry, I do not follow that logic. Except for whoever he got to buy the books in India and ship them here, there were no additional jobs created in India, and no jobs lost in the US because of what he did. So, I would say in reality , one India job created, no American jobs lost, and the kid, by virtue of turning a buck in the process actually produced one American job - his.

"“There are some people in politics and in the press who can’t be confused by the facts,” “They just will not live in an evidence-based world." Hillary ClintonDamm she will make a great president !

But this is about Grey Market Goods. For years, in the electronics and camera industry, it is common for some big stores to import goods themselves from 3rd world countries and sell the same Nikon (for example) right next to the official import by Nikon USA. One is cheaper and with little or no warranty.

Maybe because this is a printed matter, it is handled differently under copyright laws? I don't know.

The story you are about to read is true. My example has simplified the details.

ExampleYou have an American book company producing books in America using American labor. The book sells for $100; the worker is paid $14.

The American book company decides to go global and sets up a factory in India producing the same book. The factory in America is closed. The American worker loses his job and is paid $0. The Indian worker is paid $2. The American book company still sells the book in America, and it still sells for $100. The American book company can afford to sell the book at a cheaper price in India due to the larger profit earned by lower labor costs and prices the book for sale in India at $35.

An enterprising young student at an American college notices the price difference. Needing a way to fund his college education, he finds a way to have the books purchased in India at the lower price and shipped to him in America where he resells the (new and identical) books for $50. A small note on the books purchased in India reads, “This book is for sale only in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.”

The American book company discovers that an American college student is buying its books it is selling in India for $35 and reselling them in America for $50 when the identical book (also made in India on the same printers with the same labor) is priced for sale in America at $100.

The American book company sues the enterprising young student for copyright infringement. The case is now set to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.

How a Supreme Court ruling may stop you from reselling just about anything"This case is an attempt by some brands and manufacturers to manipulate copyright law, to control the distribution and pricing of legitimate, authentic goods," said eBay's top policy lawyer, Hillary Brill. "When an American purchases an authentic item, he shouldn't have to ask permission from the manufacturer to do with it what he wants."http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012 ... hip-means/

A Supreme Court Case Over Textbooks Could Make Copyright Law Even More RestrictiveIf you’re flying to the United States from abroad, perhaps your newspapers should be confiscated along with your too-large tube of toothpaste. For your own protection, that is. After all, if you forget to discard that newspaper before going through customs on arrival, you may be guilty of copyright infringement.